1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to methods and systems that facilitate continuous access to content over a first network and a second network.
2. Background
In the past, content providers supplied their customers with a device to process signals according to transmission requirements of a network used by the provider to deliver services. These types of devices were typically bound to the network of the associated provider and would not function with other provider networks. As technology has emerged and become more proficient, similar types of devices are now sophisticated enough to facilitate communications over multiple networks, regardless of the transmission characteristics of the networks.
The same device can now be used to access content carried over different provider networks. If a user has a mobile phone, for example, the mobile phone may include capabilities that allow it to access content carried over a cable television network and a mobile phone network. While the mobile phone may support access to both of the cable television and mobile phone networks, the providers associated with each network may not communicate. This lack of communication may make it difficult for a user to transition between the networks without an interruption in service.
If the user is watching a television program carried on a particular television channel of the cable television network and decides to leave their access area, the user must locate the television program on the mobile phone network before they can re-join an already in-progress television program. Because the providers lack sufficient communication, the mobile device is unable to locate the television program on the other network without some assistance from the user. This can lead to a problematic interruption in service while the user searches the other network for the desired television program.